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Physician PrOFile

The DiagnosTic clinic aT
EAsT TEnnEssEE cHILDREn’s HospITAL

Dr. JOe PeeDen

We get kids

East Tennessee

Children’s Hospital
is a not-for-profit,

private, independent

pediatric medical
center whose only

who is the Clinic Coordinator and whose concern is the care
background is in hematology/oncology; of your child.

and Meghan buckner, who is a social
worker. Nurses at the hospital round
Our mission is to
out the operation, and everyone plays an improve the health

equal part in the clinic.
of the children
The critical element in the diagnostic through exceptional,

Clinic is the careful application of time. comprehensive
When children come to dr. Peeden, they
family-centered
have already been to multiple specialists care. It’s a mission
Joe Peeden, MD
to address their illnesses. The only way that centers on
to properly evaluate each patient seen an unchanging

one facet of provid-
by the clinic is by spending a lot of time commitment to the
i n g great medical care is learning how reviewing records.
physical, educational,

to adapt to the ever-changing needs of “So many children today have multiple and emotional needs

your patients. for more than 35 years, medical issues, such as developmental of each child.
pediatrician Joe Peeden, M.d., has treated delays and birth defects, but special-

sick children throughout the Knoxville ists might not have enough time to give
area and at East Tennessee Children’s each case an in-depth analysis,” says

hospital—and through this experience
dr. Peeden. “We look at every child’s
he recognized a pattern in the kids who records—cross-referencing, research-

came into his office.
ing, strategizing—which requires a lot of

“Sometimes a child will be sent to a legwork but is very rewarding.”
specialist for one symptom and then to “At the end of the day, it’s about help-

another doctor for a different symptom,” ing the kids,” he adds. “over the years,
says dr. Peeden, “and I wanted to look at diagnoses have become increasingly

the possibility of those symptoms being more complicated, but one thing never

related to an overall disorder or problem.”
changes: kids want to get better, and I
It was under this premise that dr. want to help them get better.”

Peeden established the diagnostic Clinic dr. Peeden received his medical
inside the East Tennessee Children’s degree from the university of Tennes-

hospital. This clinic looks at difficult see Medical Center in Memphis in 1975

diagnoses for children who are suffering and completed his fellowship in medical
from a number of different problems and and clinical genetics at Le bonheur and

tries to identify a unifying cause.
St. Jude’s Children’s Research hospi-
East Tennessee
The diagnostic Clinic’s core staff tal. dr. Peeden’s professed passions are Children’s Hospital

consists of just three people: dr. Peeden, literature, dogs, his wife Paula, who is a 2018 W. Clinch Avenue
who is board certified in pediatrics and gynecologist, and their three children—all
Knoxville, TN 37916
medical genetics; SuAnne Cobb, RN,
of whom are teachers.
865-541-8000

www.etch.com

120 cityviewmag.com maRcH aPRiL 2014